Respect the perspective or habits of others by offering them empathy
In the words of Beau Taplin, “we’re all desperate to be understood that we forget to be understanding.” Perspective-taking is a complex mental skill that helps an individual to understand a situation from a different point of view. It is a cognitive phenomenon, a thought process about seeing things from somebody else’s point of view. Perspective-taking is the ability to take on someone else’s point of view when thinking. It is a simple concept and is something that most of us do all the time mostly, without even thinking about it.
Nowadays, people are regularly sharing space with other people. An individual’s feelings are not the same as one’s intuition. All of us have a uniquely valuable perspective in life—a lens through which we interpret our lives. Perspective-taking requires both - the skill to understand others accurately as well as the motivation to do so. Through that perspective, we define what makes sense to us, which is differentiated from how others see and experience life. It is to some degree an innate human characteristic. Perspective-taking is needed to have empathy for someone else. It is critical to gain insight into one’s strengths.
Perspective-taking should not be confused with its emotional cousin- empathy. At times it is usually thought of as a cognitive component of empathy. There is also an emotional aspect of empathy, which is about one's emotional response to another's person's experience. Empathy is about feeling the other person’s feelings. It is a process that begins in childhood starting with an egocentric world view then learning to adjust how one sees things to accommodate others’ viewpoint. In order to implement it successfully, an individual must have an understanding of others’ thoughts, feelings, motivations and intentions. Respecting the perspective or habits of others by offering them empathy is crucial for individual development on both personal and professional levels.
When it comes to children, Perspective taking forms a critical skill along with parents too as it allows for an individual to better understand and further interact with others around them. It might not only provide new data in complex situations but can also activate networks in their brains that are associated with creative thinking and exploration.
To be thought of as a considerate person, an individual must consider another person’s perspective before acting or speaking. When a person does not consider how their actions will make others feel, they end up seeming rude, inconsiderate and self-centred. Perspective-taking is an essential skill and be it a child or an adult, everyone needs to interpret “why” and “how” situations that happen and then respond appropriately to that information. Remember, not to compare or judge others just by looking through the lens of one’s own individual experiences. A person has no idea what they have been through.
(The writer is an educator)
